Ellie Midwood

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About Ellie Midwood
Ellie Midwood is a USA Today bestselling and award-winning historical fiction author, whose works have been translated into 14 languages. She owes her interest in the history of the Second World War to her grandfather, Junior Sergeant in the 2nd Guards Tank Army of the First Belorussian Front, who began telling her about his experiences on the frontline when she was a young girl. Growing up, her interest in history only deepened and transformed from reading about the war to writing about it. After obtaining her BA in Linguistics, Ellie decided to make writing her full-time career and began working on her first full-length historical novel, "The Girl from Berlin." Ellie is continuously enriching her library with new research material and feeds her passion for WWII and Holocaust history by collecting rare memorabilia and documents.
In her free time, Ellie is a health-obsessed yoga enthusiast, neat freak, adventurer, Nazi Germany history expert, polyglot, philosopher, a proud Jew, and a doggie mama. Ellie lives in New York with her fiancé and their two dogs.
Readers' Favorite - winner in the Historical fiction category (2016) - "The Girl from Berlin: Standartenführer's Wife" (first place)
Readers' Favorite - winner in the Historical fiction category (2016) - "The Austrian" (honorable mention)
New Apple - 2016 Award for Excellence in Independent Publishing - "The Austrian" (official selection)
Readers' Favorite - winner in the Historical fiction category (2017) - "Emilia"
Readers' Favorite - winner in the Historical fiction category (2018) - "A Motherland's Daughter, A Fatherland's Son"
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Books By Ellie Midwood
Dora has lost everything to the Nazis. Her dearest friends have disappeared into thin air. Her parents have been imprisoned in concentration camps and murdered for the crime of simply existing. She has no idea if her darling husband, the devoted and brave Alfred, is even alive.
Though her world is crashing and burning around her, Dora refuses to give in to Hitler’s tyranny. The Nazis may have broken her heart, but they will not break her spirit.
Secretly working for the underground network in France, Dora risks her life on the most dangerous mission in the history of the local resistance. She goes undercover as the secretary of the Head of Gestapo; a soldier with a brutal reputation. A cold-blooded killer.
She is tasked with leaking the names of the SS to the British press. Every day, she rubs shoulders with the enemy. She makes coffee for the people she despises. She types letters for the monsters who killed her family. At any second, she could be found out…
Can she survive, turning the tide of the war and saving thousands of lives? Or will those she loved the most in the world, and millions of other innocent people, have died in vain?
Fans of The Tattooist of Auschwitz, The Alice Network, and The Lilac Girls will be utterly swept away by this heart-wrenching and totally gripping novel about one of history’s most courageous women.
What readers are saying about The Undercover Secretary:
“Unputdownable… Incredible… I was completely and utterly mesmerized. Until today, I had never heard of Dora’s story, but it is one that will live with me forever… Absolutely phenomenal… Incredible… I found myself reading late into the night and refusing to stop until I reached the end.” Goodreads reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
“Oh my word… Ellie Midwood has done it again. She’s destroyed my heart and mashed it into a thousand pieces before putting it back together… What a woman. What a story. A must-read in my opinion… Wonderful.” Goodreads reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
“Incredible… Unforgettable… Beautiful… A powerful and incredibly gripping piece of historical fiction which is both heartbreaking and heart-warming.” Yours Chloe, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
“Amazing… Incredible… Unforgettable.” Robin Loves Reading, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
“Heartbreaking… Addictive… A wonderful fictio
“The tears wouldn’t stop.” Goodreads reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
“Impossible to put down.” RK_Reads, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
“Heartbreaking and inspirational.” @marla.reads, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
“We must die standing up for something.”
“And what are we standing up for?”
“The most important thing there is. Freedom.”
Millions of people walked through Auschwitz’s gates, but she was the first woman who escaped. This powerful novel tells the inspiring true story of Mala Zimetbaum, whose heroism will never be forgotten, and whose fate altered the course of history…
Nobody leaves Auschwitz alive.
Mala, inmate 19880, understood that the moment she stepped off the cattle train into the depths of hell. As an interpreter for the SS, she uses her position to save as many lives as she can, smuggling scraps of bread to those desperate with hunger.
Edward, inmate 531, is a camp veteran and a political prisoner. Though he looks like everyone else, with a shaved head and striped uniform, he’s a fighter in the underground Resistance. And he has an escape plan.
They are locked up for no other sin than simply existing. But when they meet, the dark shadow of Auschwitz is lit by a glimmer of hope. Edward makes Mala believe in the impossible. That despite being surrounded by electric wire, machine guns topping endless watchtowers and searchlights roaming the ground, they will leave this death camp.
A promise is made––they will escape together or they will die together. What follows is one of the greatest love stories in history…
Fans of The Tattooist of Auschwitz, The Choice, and The Orphan Train will love this breathtakingly beautiful tale, of courage in the face of tragedy and bravery in the face of fear. Based on a true story, The Girl Who Escaped Auschwitz shows that, in darkness, love can be your light…
See what readers are saying about The Girl Who Escaped from Auschwitz:
“I couldn’t put it down, I was reading it all through the night… A beautiful, heart-wrenching story; a story I read with blurry eyes thanks to all the tears. A must-read for all. This one will stick with me forever.’ @bookswithmitch, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
“Extraordinary… Devastatingly heartbreaking… Absolutely rammed with emotions that will make you smile, cry and laugh.” Bookworm86, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
“An AMAZING read! I loved this so much!… Sensational… One of the most inspiring love stories of all time… HIGHLY HIGHLY RECOMMEND. 100% 5 STARS!!” Goodreads reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
“Loved loved loved it.” NetGalley Reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
“I can officially report my tear ducts have run completely and utterly dry…
“Be brave. Don’t run. Fight.” With her eyes tightly shut, tears rolling from under her dark lashes, she felt his lips gently touch her burning cheek. The train on the platform whistled, and he disappeared into the steam.
Berlin, 1939: Libby is determined to start a new life––as far away as possible from her family and their alliance with the Nazis. But in the city, there’s no escape from Hitler’s brutal regime. And when Libby’s friend vanishes into thin air, she cannot stand back and do nothing…
And then Libby meets Harro and her world tips upside down as they fall desperately in love. But she knows there’s a story behind his cornflower-blue eyes. The whip marks on his back, scars from the SS, tell his secret: he is a resistance fighter.
Harro draws Libby into the world of the resistance, and their life grows increasingly dangerous as they do everything they can to bring about Hitler’s downfall. With each risk they take, Libby is terrified of losing Harro––how will she live without him?
Libby starts to believe that the Gestapo is stalking them––their every move watched, their phone calls recorded. And one day, Harro simply disappears. Her worst nightmare has come true, and she knows that it is just a matter of time before she’s next.
Will they live to see each other once again? Or will everything they’ve risked be in vain?
Fans of The Tattooist of Auschwitz, The Alice Network and The Lilac Girls will be utterly gripped by this heartbreaking page-turner. Based on a true story, this beautiful novel shows that even when our freedom is stolen, we still have a choice…
Readers love The Girl on the Platform:
“I LOVED IT… Amazing… An unputdownable, heart-wrenching, absolutely beautifully devastating story.’ Bookwork86, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
“Well, what can I say but wow!!! This story is definitely not going to leave my head anytime soon. Firstly, I must congratulate Ellie Midwood for yet another extraordinary novel that seriously needs to be made into a movie which I assure would be best-selling!!! This book is very powerful and extremely well written. It is devastatingly heartbreaking and beautiful at the same time… It is absolutely rammed with emotions that will make you smile, cry and laugh.” Goodreads reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
“Wow! I finished this with a tear in my eye and a lump in my throat––it was so very moving… Stunning.” Nicki’s Book Blog, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
“I absolutely adored this book! I could not put it down, probably the fastest I have ever read a book
Germany, 1941: “We live together, or we die together.” A novel that will stay with you forever, The Girl Who Survived tells the inspiring true story of Ilse Stein, a German Jew who was imprisoned in a ghetto––and who fell in love with the man she was supposed to loathe.
For eighteen-year-old Ilse life is unrecognizable. A year ago, she wasn’t forced to wear a star on her clothes. A year ago, her parents were alive, not yet killed by their own countrymen. A year ago, she had her freedom.
Now, at the break of dawn, she steps off the cattle train into a Minsk ghetto. This is Ilse’s new home: trapped by barbed wire, surrounded by SS guards she is forbidden to look in the eye, with no choice but to trade the last of her belongings for scraps of food. Sentenced for the crime of simply existing, she doesn’t expect to live past the summer.
Yet the prisoners in the ghetto refuse to give up––the underground resistance is plotting their escape. Ilse’s first act of defiance is smuggling from the munitions factory, slipping bullets into the lining of her pockets.
But this is just the beginning… When Ilse meets Wilhem, a local SS administrative officer, she never dreams that her greatest rebellion will be falling for him. Wilhem promises that she will survive, even if the cost is his life. But in a world of such danger, daring to love is the most dangerous risk of all…
Fans of The Tattooist of Auschwitz, The Choice, and Orphan Train will be completely gripped by this heartbreaking tale. Based on a true story, this powerful novel shows that love is stronger than terror, and that when life takes everything from you, death is not to be feared…
This book was previously published as No Woman’s Land.
Readers love The Girl Who Survived:
“A completely heart-wrenching and soul-destroying book that I couldn’t put down and I have not been able to stop thinking about. I cried so much but I loved every page.” Goodreads reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
“Wow, this book was terrific… Wow, just WOW! Truly brilliant. This book managed to do something no other book has ever managed to do with me and that is that I cried… I must award it 5 stars as nothing less would do!… Just an incredible story.” Jsybookworm, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
“This story was so beautiful, I absolutely loved it. I could not put it down… Such an amazing story… Throughout the whole story I felt like I was holding my breath. I cannot wait to reread this book.
À Auschwitz, chaque jour est un combat pour survivre. Alma a le matricule 50381, un nombre tatoué à l’encre bleue sur sa peau. Comme des milliers d’autres, elle est enfermée et séparée de ceux qu’elle aime.
Cette réalité ne pourrait pas être plus lointaine de la vie d’avant pour Alma. Star de l’Orchestre Philarmonique de Vienne, ses performances de violoniste ont envoûté les amateurs de musique classique. Nièce de
Gustav Mahler, fille d’un violoniste célèbre, elle a même fondé en 1932 un orchestre de femmes. Mais quand les Nazis ont envahi l’Europe, personne n’a pu la sauver...
Dans son malheur, sa chance va être d’être reconnue par l’une des chefs nazis du camp, qui va lui imposer de monter et diriger un orchestre de femmes pour le bon plaisir des SS. Au début, Alma refuse, mais elle réalise rapidement le pouvoir offert par sa position : elle peut sauver des jeunes filles d’une mort certaine.
C’est ainsi qu’Alma va rencontrer Miklos, un pianiste talentueux. Au milieu du désespoir, ils vont connaître la joie des répétitions, des notes, et des concerts qu’ils donnent côte à côte – tout en priant que le cauchemar cesse un jour.
Mais à Auschwitz, l’air est contaminé par la mort, et la tragédie est la seule certitude...
In her first hours at Munich University, Sophie meets Alexander, with raven-black hair and brooding eyes. Instantly, she recognizes a kindred spirit. Like her, he opposes the Nazis. Like her, he will fight against evil.
United by their hatred of Hitler and drawn to each other like moths to a flame, Sophie and Alexander form the White Rose Network. They vow to inspire others to resist—to start a chain reaction and overthrow the regime. But it is a lethal game; impossible to know who to trust. Who is willing to put their life on the line? Who would betray them to evade capture?
In an underground vault, by the glow of candlelight, Sophie and Alexander plot Hitler’s downfall. With each risk they take, and every law they break, they get closer to arrest. Yet promising her heart to Alexander is the most dangerous act of all…
Their lives hang in the balance as the Gestapo offer a reward to anyone with information on the White Rose Network. It’s only a matter of time until the secret police close in on them. When Sophie is imprisoned in an interrogation room, staring a Nazi officer in the eye, will she take their secrets to her grave? Will she sacrifice her freedom for love?
Fans of The Tattooist of Auschwitz, The Alice Network and The Lilac Girls will be completely gripped by this heartbreaking and addictive page-turner.
Readers love The White Rose Network:
“I was brought to tears… Have a box of tissues at the ready… I loved this book… Wonderful. Will grip you from page one and never let go.” Goodreads reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
“Well, what can I say but wow!!! This story is definitely not going to leave my head… I must congratulate Ellie Midwood for yet another extraordinary novel that seriously needs to be made into a movie which I assure you would be bestselling!!! This book is very powerful and extremely well-written. It is devastatingly heartbreaking and beautiful… It is absolutely rammed with emotions that will make you smile, cry and laugh… Overall an unputdownable, heart-wrenching, absolutely beautifully devastating story.” Bookworm86, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
“I loved this story so much, I almost don’t know what to say… So inspirational and heart-wrenching and you will definitely need the Kleenex. This heart-pounding page-turner is one that will definitely stay with me, I loved it. This is without a doubt a must-read. This one definitely hits all the emotions.
“We’re not moving until you release our men!” Margot shouts, her heart racing. In the snow, the Berlin streets dusted with white, she shifts from foot to foot with the small crowd of wives by the iron gates. She has lived in terror that this moment would come: Nazis have arrested her beloved husband.
Margot, a German seamstress, and Jochen, a Jewish artist, were madly in love. But this became a forbidden act in Hitler’s Germany. The days of Jochen filling their sixth-floor apartment with roses to surprise her vanished. Their friends started crossing the street to avoid them. They lost their jobs. And then they found themselves scrabbling for breadcrumbs on the cold cobbles outside the home that was once their own.
Yet even as their world came crashing down, they had each other. Until now.
Now, Margot risks her life to protest outside Gestapo headquarters. As days pass, hundreds are gathered. They refuse to move, even when enemy planes cross the clouds and bombs fall to the ground. Yet defying the Nazis is a death sentence…
Will this evil war ever end? Will she and Jochen survive? What will it take for Margot to see the love of her life again?
Fans of The Tattooist of Auschwitz, The Alice Network and The Lilac Girls will be utterly gripped by this tearjerking and inspirational tale.
See what readers are saying about The Wife Who Risked Everything:
“Oh my goodness… Phenomenal… Utterly gripping… Heartbreaking and completely impossible to put down. I was totally captivated from the very first page to the last… Hits all the feels and I was so emotional, tearing up and broken-hearted with the turn of the pages. Wow… Heart-wrenching… Absolutely breathtaking… I absolutely loved everything.’ Page Turners, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
“Wow, just wow… Beautiful and heartwarming… Such a powerful and moving story… Kept me gripped from start to finish… Took my heart and a bucket full of tears!… Beautiful!’ Lioness of Literacy, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
“Gripping… I kept telling myself, ‘Just one more chapter’. And before I knew it, it was 6 a.m. and I was still awake! I had to force myself to go to sleep and as soon as I woke up, I finished the book within a few hours… Outstanding.’ Goodreads reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
“This book put me through every emotion possible… Yes, I cried my eyes out. I absolutely recommend reading this book!” My Obscure Library, ⭐⭐⭐⭐
“I won’t let anything happen to you,” he whispered, pressing a note into her hand. Her entire body trembled when she read it: I am in love with you.
Helena steps off the cattle train onto the frozen grounds of Auschwitz. She has twenty-four hours to live. Scheduled to be killed tomorrow, she is not even tattooed with a prison number. As the snow falls around her, she shivers, knowing that she has been sentenced to death for a crime she didn’t commit.
When a gray-clad officer marches towards Helena and pulls her away, she fears the worst. Instead, he tells her that it’s one of the guard’s birthdays and orders her to serenade him.
Inside the SS barracks the air is warm, thick with cigarette smoke and boisterous conversation. After she sings to the guard, Franz, he presses a piece of cake into her hands––the first thing she has eaten in days. On the spot, he orders her life to be saved, forever changing the course of her fate.
What follows is a love story that was forbidden, that should have been impossible, and yet saved both of their lives––and hundreds of others––in more ways than one.
Fans of The Tattooist of Auschwitz, The Choice, and The Orphan Train will be utterly gripped by this unputdownable page-turner. This heartbreaking yet hopeful novel shows that love can survive anything and grow anywhere.
This book was previously published as Auschwitz Syndrome.
Readers love The Girl in the Striped Dress:
“Wow. Wow, wow, WOW. I almost have no words. This was an incredible, heart-wrenching read… Insanely captivating… I cried buckets reading this story… Wow… What a tale. I seriously can’t get over this and I’m so glad I was able to read it.” Goodreads reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
“Wow!! Time to clear your schedule for the afternoon, coffee pot on and phone turned off––you won’t want to put this one down.” Avid Reader, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
“I loved this… Wow! Stopped me in my tracks and made me shed a tear. We must never ever forget… Stunning.” Nicki's Book Blog, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
“Once in a while, a book comes along your way that breaks your heart. The Girl in the Striped Dress is one such book that broke me from within, tore me apart and left me shattered.” Next On Reading List, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
“Everyone needs to read this book!” Goodreads reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
“Amazing novel!...
Based on the unforgettable true story of Alma Rosé, The Violinist of Auschwitz brings to life one of history’s most fearless, inspiring and courageous heroines. Alma’s bravery saved countless lives, bringing hope to those who had forgotten its meaning…
In Auschwitz, every day is a fight for survival. Alma is inmate 50381, the number tattooed on her skin in pale blue ink. She is cooped up with thousands of others, torn from loved ones, trapped in a maze of barbed wire. Every day people disappear, never to be seen again.
This tragic reality couldn’t be further from Alma’s previous life. An esteemed violinist, her performances left her audiences spellbound. But when the Nazis descend on Europe, none of that can save her…
When the head of the women’s camp appoints Alma as the conductor of the orchestra, performing for prisoners trudging to work as well as the highest-ranking Nazis, Alma refuses: “they can kill me but they won’t make me play”. Yet she soon realizes the power this position offers: she can provide starving girls with extra rations and save many from the clutches of death.
This is how Alma meets Miklos, a talented pianist. Surrounded by despair, they find happiness in joint rehearsals, secret notes, and concerts they give side by side––all the while praying that this will one day end. But in Auschwitz, the very air is tainted with loss, and tragedy is the only certainty… In such a hopeless place, can their love survive?
This devastatingly heartbreaking yet beautifully hopeful tale proves that even in the darkest of days, love can prevail––and give you something to live for. Fans of The Choice, The Tattooist of Auschwitz and The Orphan Train will lose their hearts to this magnificent tale.
Readers absolutely love The Violinist of Auschwitz:
“If I could give this book ten stars I would! Was sorry when the book finally ended… Will remain with me for a very long time… I absolutely loved this.” Goodreads Reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
“Wow! Just wow… Utterly heartbreaking… I’m speechless.” Goodreads Reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
“Phenomenal! Absolutely brilliant! This book requires a standing ovation for sure!… Crushingly heart-breaking yet beautiful.” Battle of the Books, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
“I absolutely loved it!!!… Amazing. It was so beautifully written… Amazingly well done.” Goodreads Reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
“Soul-wrenching… I have been through boxes of Kleenex… Even writing this review I have tears.” Goodreads Reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
“I picked up this book this morning thinking I would read for half an hour before I dealt with life for the
The German army has marched into Paris. Three siblings, three very different people leading very different lives, find themselves face to face with new occupants of their city, and none of them can guess what the occupation has in store for them, and how it will change their lives once and for all.
Giselle Legrand, a renowned novelist and a socialite, encounters an unannounced guest in her apartment – a newly arrived chief of the Gestapo, Sturmbannführer Dr. Karl Wünsche, who is intended to billet there and who soon starts making rather unwelcome changes in Giselle’s lifestyle. Strong-willed and defiant, Giselle gets involved with one of the first Resistance cells, refusing to submit to the newly established authority despite the developing relationship between the two.
Kamille Blanchard, a new widow of the war left alone with a small daughter, is dreading the approaching army. However, she never expected that she could find love in the arms of an officer, who appears at her door as soon as the German army marches in. But will Kamille be able to trust a former enemy when he has to choose between his feelings and the duty for his country?
Marcel Legrand, a former history student and a deserter, fearing the capture by the Germans has no other choice than ask for the help from the ones he used to fear and avoid – the mysterious communists, who call for an uprising and freeing their country from the Nazi plague.
Soon, the fates of all three siblings will become intertwined in a dangerous knot, all of them, fighting for the same goal: a liberated France.
Tadeusz Baumann, a recently liberated Auschwitz inmate, joins forces with the American intelligence service to hunt down Otto Neumann, a high-ranking SS official, who has the blood of thousands of innocents on his hands. Their only hope of finding Neumann is that he might contact his daughter, Gerlinde, before disappearing forever.
However, Gerlinde, a former BDM girl, refuses not only to cooperate but even acknowledge that her father did anything wrong, writing off the OSS agents’ accusations against him as enemy propaganda. Tadeusz and Agent Morris must convince her that the elite Nazi upbringing she had is tainted by evil and horrors beyond her imagination and persuade Gerlinde to cooperate before their quarry makes his final escape.
Germany has been liberated but the battle for the hearts and minds of the people has just begun.
France, 1940
The German army has marched into Paris. Three siblings, three very different people leading very different lives, find themselves face to face with new occupants of their city, and none of them can guess what the occupation has in store for them, and how it will change their lives once and for all.
Giselle Legrand, a renowned novelist and a socialite, encounters an unannounced guest in her apartment – a newly arrived chief of the Gestapo, Sturmbannführer Dr. Karl Wünsche, who is intended to billet there and who soon starts making rather unwelcome changes in Giselle’s lifestyle.
Kamille Blanchard, a new widow of the war left alone with a small daughter, is dreading the approaching army. However, she never expected that she could find love in the arms of an officer, who appears at her door as soon as the German army marches in.
Marcel Legrand, a former history student and a deserter, fearing the capture by the Germans has no other choice than ask for the help from the ones he used to fear and avoid – the mysterious communists, who call for an uprising and freeing their country from the Nazi plague.
Soon, the fates of all three siblings will become intertwined in a dangerous knot, all of them, fighting for the same goal: a liberated France.
France, 1942
Having suffered a devastating blow from the Gestapo, Etienne Delattre’s Resistance cell is slowly recovering its strength.
Giselle Legrand travels to Lyon to work in its infamous Montluc prison under her third alias, helping the Resistance in organizing prisoners’ escapes.
Marcel joins forces with Philippe as the two follow the line of the Comintern in sabotaging German munitions factories.
Kamille volunteers to work in the German Red Cross in order to find her missing husband, Jochen, and soon finds herself involved not only with French but with German Resistance as well.
The tide of the war is slowly turning and so does the mood in France, changing from a passive resistance to an open sabotage.
As German forces occupy the former Free Zone in response to Allied landings in North Africa, the Resistance leaders must work fast to unite their forces against the common enemy. But together with the army, SS-Obersturmführer Klaus Barbie arrives in Lyon, and soon the capital of the French Resistance will turn into the Gestapo capital, where terror and intimidation have free reign, and former loyal comrades turn on their fellow résistants to save their own lives.
With maquis on the rise, with pro-German milice assisting the Gestapo with its policy of terrorizing the French population, with the promise of the Allied landings on the North, they will have to outsmart the enemy that will fight to the bitter end. Liberation is nearing, but the time is against them.
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